Issues & Approaches to the Study of Public Policy

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Policy attempts to resolve certain problemsPolicy is created in the name of the "public"Policy is made by governmentsPolicy implemented by governmental & private actorsPolicy is what the government chooses to do or not to doIssues & Approaches to the Study of Public PolicyStone: its all about community!Preface & IntroductionEarly scholarship assumes that making policy should be rational Politics is full of ambiguity & ParadoxAgendaGertson: Public Policy-making in a Democratic Society, Ch 1Birkland: Introduction to the Policy Process Ch 1Anderson: Public Policy-making, Ch 1

BREAK5-10Mins

Sabatier - Theories of the Policy Process Ch 1Stone, Policy Paradox, Preface, Introduction & Ch 1SabatierGerston"Paradoxes arenothing but trouble. They violate the most element principle of logic: something can't be two different things at once....a paradox is just such an impossible situation & political life is fulle of them" (pg.2)

1. Model of reasoning

2. Model of Society

3. Model of Policy MakingThree components of policyA series of well Defined steps:1. Identify objectives2. Identify alternative courses of action3. Predict the possible consequences4. Evaluation5. Select the alternative that maximizesthe attainment of objectivesPolitical is reasoningAn alternate model of political reasoning would consider:changing ones objectivespursuing contradictory objectiveswinning by appearing to lose & turning loss into an appearance of victoryin the rational project the model of society is the marketSociety is a collection of autonomous, rational decision makers who have no community lifeLife consists of trading with others to maximize their individual well-beingIndividuals maximize self-interest through rational interestModel of reasoningMODEL OF SOCIETYAlternative Political CommunityStone calls the political community a "Polis"

Necessary because is created in political community, rather than market

Market does not allow a way to explain decision that are not "rational"Political Policy MakingProduction model fails to recognize the struggle over ideasShared meanings motivate people to actionShared ideas are the center of all political conflictModel of Policy makingIn this rationality project, policy is created in a orderly sequence of stages ( assembly lines)This is what the production line model looks likethere are issues with the agendaproblem are not well definedcommittees are not studiedsingle best alternative is modelThe Market & Polis: chapter 1

-Political ReasonsAndersonPublic Policy is an important variable to understand political process.Public Policy Study is required to conduct policy analysis to choose the best policy.Public Policy is studied to strengthen claims of policy advocates.Demonstration or Assault?- In Snyder v. Westboro, Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of the church- Chief Roberts wrote the majority opinion that the protest highlighted the "political & moral conduct of the US & it's citizens, the fate of the nation, homosexuality in the military, and scandals involving clergy in the Catholic Church"- Alito, the on dissenter said: "public issues could be "vigorously debated w/o allowing the brutalization of innocent victims

Q: Was the funeral demonstrations a contribution to democratic debate or vicious assaults?"In this book, I draw on the scientific policy study approach [reason] to develop a basic understanding of the policymaking process."- Central Thesis: Scientific approach used by PS, EC, PA & other policy analysis misrepresent + diminishes politics.- A more appropriate form of political analysis based on "political reason" needed. - Recognizes " the dark, self-interested side of political conflicts but also see's politics as a valuable creative process for social harmony" (pg 10).. - Stone begins to construct her model & argues how this models the way societies should organize to act politically. Assumptions of a Market@ least 2 willing participantsPerfect info.Cost & Benefits (- and + externalities)Transitive utility ordering ( if A>B>C, then A>C)Mutual gains from transactionsNet gains to a society from the sum of these transactionIs this how politics really work???Issues with the Market ModelAndersonImplications by the Andrson's definitionsum of individual benefits does not equal societal benefitsInformation is rarely complete & rarely good information at all in politics (or in the markets)Policy & Politics may not always be voluntary:claims to coercion but depends on someone's point of view According to EC, markets do not need communities but politics does. Goal-orientedConsequentialDemands drivenActual actionPositive & Negtive

The Polis (Political Community)CommunityCooperationCoercionMembershipLoyaltyPassionvaluesCategories of Public PolicySubstantive/ProceduralDistributive/RedistributiveRegulatory/Self RegulatoryMaterial/SymbolicCollective Goods/Private GoodsLiberal/Conservative Features of the PolisPublic Interestit is the most important because people believe itCommon Problemaction w/ private benefit that entails SC, or SB that require individual sacrificesInfluencePeople are not just utility maximizes but are subject to influencesCooperationMarkets don't require cooperation unless there is an exchange of goods or services. In the Polis, people have to cooperate in the political systems of greater than 2 peopleLoyaltyMarket transactions assumed to be unique & one shot eventThe polis involves friends, commitments, longer term relationships between people & groupsPolicy Theories (Approaches)Political System TheoryGroup TheoryElite TheoryInsitutionalismRational-Choice TheoryAnderson, J. E.GroupsWork through loyalty and influenceInformationMarket: assumed to be perfect and openPassionAuthority & interest grow with useMarket: resources shrink not finiteContinue:Summary of Stones PointsPolitical science was suppose to be practicalA practical science was grounded in ECEC = Rationality (assumptions)Hence, the Rationality ProjectBut we know people/societies do behave the way EC & rationalist argue.What are the problems w/ Stones argument in the introduction & Ch. 1?Politics & Public PolicyDefinitions of Politics1. " the art or science of government2. "political activities characterized by artful & often dishonest practices.3. "the process by which society determines who get what, when they get in, & how they get it"Key Attributes of Public Policy"Policy is a statement by government of what it intends to do such as a law, regulation, ruling, decision order, or a combination of these. The lack of such systems may also be an implicit statement of policy"Four Approaches to Policy StudiesPublic Policy ProcessComparative Public PolicyPublic Policy AnalysisPublic Policy ResearchDisciplines That Study Public Policy Political ScienceSociologyEconomicsPublic AdministrationPublic PolicyARGUMENT & EVIDENCE

GerstonImportant Question...

How does public policymaking affect our daily live's?Directing the flow of resources.-Economic advantages-Individual rights-Shifts in political powerGerstonWhat is public policy?No single agreed upon answer"Decisions, commitments, and actions by those who hold or affect gov. positions"Gerston says that Public Policy is:Quick Review of Our Policy ProcessImportant Features!Limited Gov't-Public v. Private issues-Seperation of Powers--- Compromise!-Chartered RightsAll policy is Justiciable.-Via Judicial ReviewConstitutionalism-Nationalism and FederalismCitizenship?Rights bearing Individual

Communitarian

Citizenship as public workWhat is the difference between Politics and Public Policy?&1) Coordination of a multitude of actors.2) Lengthy implementation period often spanning decades3) Managing overlapping jurisdictions and interrelated purviews.4) Assessing collateral impacts and alternative solutions.5) Integrating diverse and deeply held values – public relations.Elements of ActorsInstitutional Rational Choice (Ostrom)Multiple Streams (Kingdon)Punctuated Equilibrium (Baumgartner and Jones) Advocacy Coalition (Sabatier and Jenkins)Policy Diffusion (Berry and Berry) Large N Comparative Studies Policy FramworksPolicy FrameworkElements of Actors MPP Cohort Bill Senate Yosuke1. People must cooperate.2. Professors must not mistake Ivan for Jack. If they do, they have to hold a party. When they hold a party, they have to inform students what they will serve.3. If a student stocks up more than five instant foods in his/her locker, he/she has to give one of them to the person who forgot the lunch.Activities! Yay!wolves v. Min Wage• Distributive policy: A policy that provides services to specific targeted persons, groups or communities;

• Procedural policy: A policy that specifies how government will administer some matter (process);

• Redistributive policy: A policy that shifts resources among broad groups of

people, from the “haves” to the “have-nots” or vice versa;

Regulatory policy: A policy that imposes limitations or restraints on persons,

groups, and businesses, thus reducing their discretion to act;

• Self-regulatory policy: A policy where those being regulated have much influence

over the regulation;

• Substantive policy: A policy that directly distributes advantages and

disadvantages, or costs and benefits, to people;

• Symbolic policy: A policy that expresses desired outcomes and values, but has

little if any impact on society.1. The current issue of raising the US federal minimum wage.“The objective of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly referred to as the Clean Water Act (CWA), is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters by preventing point and nonpoint pollution sources, providing assistance to publicly owned treatment works for the improvement of wastewater treatment, and maintaining the integrity of wetlands.” (http://www.epa.gov/ oecaagct/lcwa.html)Executive Order 13547To achieve an America whose stewardship ensures that the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes are healthy and resilient, safe and productive, and understood and treasured so as to promote the well-being, prosperity, and security of present and future generations" Whitehouse.govNY Stop and Frisk Policy – “Data Reveal That Just Three Percent Of Stops Led To Convictions, And Just 0.1 Percent Led To Convictions For A Violent Crime”. “My office's analysis of the city's stop and frisk practices has broad implications for law enforcement, both in New York City and across the state. It’s our hope that this report – the first of its kind – will advance the discussion about how to fight crime without overburdening our institutions or violating equal justice under the law,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. (http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-releases-reportarrests-resulting-stop-and-frisk-practices-and-their)